


Coming Home

by pleasanthell



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:05:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3067193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasanthell/pseuds/pleasanthell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It should be right over this hill,” Danny looked at the map in her hand.</p><p>Laura looked over at Carmilla, “Starting to look familiar?”</p><p>“I haven’t been here in centuries,” Carmilla shrugged, trying to maintain a disaffected façade. In fact, everything was starting to look a little too familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

“It should be right over this hill,” Danny looked at the map in her hand.

Laura looked over at Carmilla, “Starting to look familiar?”

“I haven’t been here in centuries,” Carmilla shrugged, trying to maintain a disaffected façade. In fact, everything was starting to look a little too familiar.

LaFontaine, Perry, and Kirsch followed Danny to the top of the hill while Laura noticed that Carmilla was starting to slow down.

“Are you really okay with this?” Laura took Carmilla’s hand, stopping her from ascending any farther, “We can go back and find a hostel somewhere-”

“I’m fine,” Carmilla gently squeezed Laura’s hand before brushing past her, “Just a rock in my boot.”

Everyone else had stopped at the top of the hill, looking past it in awe. Laura quickly caught up and saw why they were so floored.

“Is that it?” Danny breathed out, the sheer beautiful of the massive structure with the stone exterior and antique windows catching the setting sun.

Carmilla couldn’t seem to look at it for as long as everyone else did. She glanced at it and then away, “Yeah. That’s it.”

“You said the castle you grew up in was small,” LaFontaine stated, not looking away.

Carmilla shrugged, “It is, comparatively.”

“Holy crap,” Laura whispered. It was like a castle from the calendars that people buy at the mall. It was picturesque and looked like it belonged in a movie.

Carmilla finally decided to stop the gawking and started her march toward the castle, “Let’s get this over with.”

It took a while to get to the front door of the castle. Everyone kept stopping to take pictures of themselves in front of it with the exception of Carmilla who had a scowl on her face from the time the castle came into view.

At the front of the house, a round manicured driveway stood.

“Does anyone live here?” Perry asked, looking at the spiraled topiaries and fresh flower beds.

“Yeah,” Carmilla answered as she trudged up the stairs. She rang the doorbell and stood to the side of the doorway. She looked at Laura, “Last chance to back out. It’s about to get weird.”

“Weird?” Laura asked, “Weird how?”

Before Carmilla could answer the front door opened. An older man in a black suit stood in front of them, tall and proud. He looked over the sweaty faces of the young adults in front of him and frowned, “This is a private estate.” His accent was decidedly German, but faded as if his accent resisted assimilation over a long stretch of years.

“Is that what you’re calling it now?” Carmilla asked, pushing off of the stone wall of the castle and appearing in the view of the man.

He immediately averted his eyes and bowed, “Countess Karnstein. I didn’t know that you were…”

“Still alive?” Carmilla sauntered past him into the castle. Laura quickly followed leading the rest of the group inside. “It takes more than a blood coffin to get rid of me.”

The man stood up straight. “Shall I prepare rooms for your guests?”

Carmilla nodded. “They’re not dinner. They _are_ my friends.” _She_ looked at the group. She put her hand on Laura’s back, “This one will be sleeping in my room.” Then she gestured to Perry and LaFontaine, “These two in a room and…” She gestured vaguely to Danny and Kirsch, “Are you two a thing or…”

Kirsch and Danny jumped away from each other, both exclaiming that that was gross.

Carmilla just shrugged, “One for each of them then. In the same hallway.”

“Shall I inform the cook to start preparations for a long stay?” he asked.

Carmilla looked at Laura who shrugged. “Um, just a few days.”

“Right away, My Lady,” he bowed and turned to walk off.

Laura nudged Carmilla and gestured to the retreating man. Carmilla sighed softly and called, “Henrik?”

The man in the suit turned around, “Countess?”

Carmilla kicked at the ground and cleared her throat, “It’s, uh, good to see you.”

He smiled brightly and nodded, “It’s always a pleasure, Lady Karnstein.” He bowed again and disappeared down the long, tall hallway.

“Is that your…vampire butler?” LaFontaine asked, taking in the massive foyer that led to a hallway. There were statues and art hung all along the walls.

Carmilla nodded. “He was at the ball where I was murdered. He was murdered as well. We just ran into each other here.” She exhaled looking around the pristine castle that hadn’t changed since she had lived there. It had thrust her back into the 1680s. She could practically hear her dad organizing a dinner party. The nostalgia slammed into her like a sack of bricks.

“Oh my god!” Kirsch yelled and put his hand to his chest.

“What?” Danny asked, grabbing her knife out of her belt. LaFontaine pushed Perry behind them just in case it was some new kind of big bad.

Kirsch didn’t say anything. His eyes were locked with a painting on the wall. He took a slow step toward it and then his eyes widened. He pointed to it and looked at Carmilla, “This is the missing panel from the Ghent Altarpiece.” He looked back at it, “This is the actual Jan van Eyck.” He put a hand over his mouth and looked it over.

“Um, Kirsch, are you okay?” Laura asked, staring to step forward. She didn’t know who Jan van Eyck was, but Kirsch seemed to be having a moment with a piece of art on the wall.

Danny put her hand on Laura’s shoulder to stop her from going to Kirsch, “His major is art history.”

“I’ve heard about that,” Perry offered, “It was stolen from a cathedral in…”

“1934,” Kirsch added details without removing his eyes from the piece of art, “It was stolen from the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Belgium.” He paused and looked away from the painting, “Did you steal it?”

“I was underground in 1934,” Carmilla brushed off the accusation. “However, being a vampire gives one a lot of time and offers the possibility for many hobbies. Henrik enjoys treasure hunting. He probably found it.”

Kirsch’s head whipped toward Carmilla, “Are there more?”

Carmilla nodded, “There’s a portrait of my mother by John Closterman in the formal dining room.” Carmilla’s voice dropped, “My real mother.” She shook off the emotion and added in her normal tone, “There was a floral by Anna Katarina Block in the tea room. I’m sure there’s a lot more. It’s just been so long. You’ll have to ask Henrik.” Carmilla surveyed the group and realized that they were still standing in the foyer. She shrugged off her backpack she had been carrying and dropped it on the floor, “You can leave your bags here. The staff will take it to your rooms.” Carmilla took a deep breath like it physically hurt her keep moving, “I’ll give you the tour of the rest of the house.”

Laura took Carmilla’s hand as they walked, knowing that it was going to be emotional for Carmilla, someone who was self-admittedly terrible with emotions. She felt Carmilla firmly grip her hand. She didn’t looked at Laura and she didn’t need to. That grip was all she needed to convey to Laura how much being back in her childhood home was going to affect her.

They toured the powder room, the tea room, the kitchen, the living room, the den, the study, a few bathrooms that had been remodeled since Carmilla lived there, thankfully. They ran into Henrik on their way up the stairs. He waited for them at the top and led the way to the bedrooms they would be staying in.

Their bags were sitting in front of the rooms with the exception of Carmilla and Laura’s. Henrik opened one of the doors. He looked at LaFontaine and Perry, “This is your room.” Then he moved to the one across the hallway, for Danny. The one next to that was Kirsch’s.

At the end of the hallway, Henrik opened the door, “Countess.”

Carmilla looked in the doorway, but didn’t make a move to go inside. She saw Laura looking at her waiting for her reaction. Carmilla gestured to the room, “Ladies first.”

Laura started walking toward the room and stood in the doorway taking in the extravagance of the room. A massive canopy bed stood in the center of the far wall. The wooden pillars were dark wood and draped with white lacy linens. The bed was made perfectly with elegant sheets and blankets. The windows faced the sunset over the green hills. The sun shot beams of light across the land around the castle.

There was a gorgeous armoire against the wall. There was a sitting area in front of a fireplace and four massive bookshelves filled to the brim. “I gotta be honest, Carm, this is exactly what I pictured your room like.” She turned around with a smile and then frowned when she only saw Kirsch in the hallway, “Where’s Carmilla?”

“She said, ‘c’mon Xena I bet you want to see the garden’ and took Danny with her that way,” Kirsch pointed behind himself from the direction they came from.

“You can see them from our window,” Perry called.

Laura walked into the room adjacent to Carmilla’s and saw LaFontaine and Perry standing at the window, looking out toward the back of the castle. Behind the castle was a large expanse of gardens, hedges, and a large stone fountain.

Carmilla and Danny were standing next to the fountain. Danny was looking off toward the intricate hedge and topiary maze. Carmilla was looking at the ground. They both looked uncomfortable as they stood outside

Laura saw Danny say something to Carmilla who looked questioningly at her. Then Carmilla nodded and sat down on the edge of the fountain. Danny sat down next to her and looked like she wanted to comfort Carmilla, but she wasn’t sure how. She picked up her hand and looked like she was about to touch Carmilla before she put her hand back into her lap.

After a moment, Carmilla looked up at the window right where Laura, Perry, LaFontaine, and Kirsch were watching them. She gestured for them to come join her in the garden.

The small group got lost a few times before they found the back door to the garden. It was easy to find Carmilla and Danny who were still sitting on the side of the fountain. Danny stood up first when the group approached. Carmilla stood as well.

Laura slipped her arms around Carmilla’s waist. She wished she knew what to do to help Carmilla. She could feel her girlfriend sigh into her and put her arms around her back. She rested her cheek against Carmilla, “I’m okay, Cupcake. It’s just a lot at once, you know?”

Laura rubbed Carmilla’s back, “Just let me know what I can do.”

“Countess?”

Carmilla stood up straight and looked at the castle entrance. When she saw Henrik at the door, he announced, “Shall I start dinner?”

“Please,” Carmilla called back.

Henrik nodded and went back into the home.

“Maybe we should go for a walk through the garden,” Perry took LaFontaine’s hand. “I’m sure there are some rare flowers around here.”

Danny caught on to what was happening so she bumped Kirsch’s shoulder, “What do you say we go into the house and see if we can find some more missing art?”

Kirsch grinned. He and Danny took off running to the castle and Perry and LaFontaine meandered along deeper into the garden.

Laura took Carmilla’s hands and pulled her to the fountain to sit her down. Once they were settled, she watched Carmilla looked everywhere, but in her eyes.

“We don’t have to stay in your old bedroom,” Laura offered softly, trying to bridge the gap that Carmilla had manufactured between them.

Carmilla shook her head, “It’s dumb. I’ll be fine. I just need to…get over it.”

Laura sensed that a change in subject was the only think that was going to keep Carmilla talking so she added, “LaFontaine looked online and saw that the town down the road a little is known for its club scene. They want to check it out tomorrow. Is that something that interests you? Do vampire like clubs?”

It took a moment for the vampire to smile, “Sounds fun.”

Laura leaned over and buried her nose in Carmilla’s hair close to her neck. She took in her beautiful, mysterious girlfriend, who always smelled wonderful even after an epic battle and being buried in a pit for days. She kissed Carmilla’s cheek and made a mental note to try to attempt to smell Henrik and see if it was a vampire thing.

She rested her head on Carmilla’s shoulder and watched LaFontaine and Perry mosey through the rest of the garden. She could see LaFontaine explaining different plants to Perry who wore a whimsical smile on her face. Her eyes glazed over when LaFontaine went on too long, but the adoration in her eyes was always there. She didn’t care about the flowers. She cared about the scientist explaining the flowers to her.

“Is dinner going to be nice? Like do I have to dress up?” Laura asked, not moving from her comfortable spot leaning on Carmilla.

“Knowing Henrik,” Carmilla inhaled, “It’ll probably be nice. But you don’t have to dress up if you don’t want to.”

Laura sighed and picked her head up, “I’m at least going to have to shower. We hiked for four hours.”

“Yeah, I think that’s the last time we let the Campus Rec Squad plan the trip,” Carmilla jerked her head toward the house indicating Danny and Kirsch.

Laura perked up, “We only went hiking three…four…seven – yeah they don’t get to plan anything again.”

Carmilla looked at the sky and then stood up. She offered her hand to Laura, “C’mon I’ll show you to the shower.”

The walk to the bedroom was slow. Laura patiently shuffled along with Carmilla who was purposely taking the long way. When they arrived at the doorway of Carmilla’s room, she walked in first. It hadn’t changed much since she left. It was clean and almost like she never left. Carmilla took a deep breath and looked around. She was ambushed by memories and lingering emotions.

Laura waiting in the doorway for Carmilla to have her moment. She restrained herself as long as possible before walking into the room and wrapping her arms around Carmilla from behind. “It’s a really nice room.”

Carmilla nodded. “It is.” She reached behind her and took Laura’s hand. They walked to the bathroom and she opened the door. “Looks like everything is new. Have fun.”

“Thanks,” Laura kissed Carmilla’s cheek on the way into the bathroom.

When Laura opened the door to the bathroom after her shower, she didn’t see Carmilla. Fearing she ran off again, she quickly went to her bag at the foot of the bed with the towel wrapped around her and started looking for clothes.

“I’m right here,” Carmilla called.

Laura quickly looked up, scanning the side of the room the voice came from. She found Carmilla sitting on top of one of the bookshelves. “Oh,” Laura resumed her search in her bag, less frantically. She wanted to ask the obvious ‘what are you doing up there’, but didn’t. It maybe be Carmilla’s cat-like method of coping with uncomfortable memories in the room.

Carmilla watched Laura retreat back into the bathroom to get dressed and then come back out, brushing her wet hair. She didn’t want Laura to get too cold with her wet hair so she hopped down from the bookcase and with a flick of her hand, started a fire in the fireplace.

“How will we know when dinner is ready?” Laura asked, “Is there a bell or something?”

Carmilla flopped back into an armchair by the fireplace and watched Laura, “Yeah.”

Laura looked at the chair Carmilla was sitting in. The high back and the red material covering made it look like a throne. Laura quickly braided her hair down the side and moved to Carmilla, sitting in her lap.

Carmilla held onto Laura, her arms around the younger woman’s waist. She rested her chin on Laura’s shoulder and breathed out slowly. She dropped a kiss on Laura’s neck and then closed her eyes just enjoying Laura’s warm skin and pleasant smell.

“Is there anything I can do?” Laura looped her arms loosely around Carmilla’s shoulders and held her gently.

Carmilla looked up at Laura with a smile. She kissed Laura and then answered, “I’m gonna be okay. It’s easier with you here.”

Laura offered her girlfriend a small tentative smile. She was happy she could help, but she didn’t want Carmilla to go through any of the pain of reliving her sordid past.

“My mom used to come in here and sit on this chair,” Carmilla started explaining. “She would come to talk to me or something. Sometimes I was getting ready to go out and we would just…talk.” She swallowed uncomfortably. “They’re everywhere. My parents, aunts, uncles, cousins… they’re all over this place.”

Laura understood. She took Carmilla’s face in her hands, gently stroking her cheek bones with her thumbs. She saw the vulnerability in Carmilla’s eyes that was usually guarded by high fences of sarcasm and cold aloof barbwire. She gently kissed Carmilla not knowing what else to do.

The dinner bell rang, pulling them out of their moment. Laura slowly stood up and pulled Carmilla up with her. Once on her feet, Carmilla looped her arm around Laura’s shoulders as they walked out of the room together.

The dining room was a massive room adorned with a golden chandelier and a roaring fireplace. All of their friends were already seated. Henrik was standing next to the head of the table and pulled out the chair, “Countess.”

Carmilla cleared her throat. She looked at Laura and then walked to the chair. She looked at it and took a half step backwards. She shook her head.

“Perhaps,” Henrik offered, “Countess would like to surrender the head of the table for the night to Ms. Hollis.”

Carmilla immediately nodded. She gestured to the chair for Laura. Carmilla plopped down ungracefully into the seat perpendicular to the head of the table. Laura slowly sat down in the head chair, allowing Henrik to push her in.

“Did your family have dinner together often?” Perry asked Carmilla after Henrik walked off.

Carmilla nodded, “Every night. No matter what.” She sighed and looked at Laura, “My dad always sat there. He never missed a dinner.”

Laura looked at her plate in front of her and nodded. She was starting to understand exactly how much Carmilla had avoided dealing with any feelings related to her family. She picked up her drink and looked at it, “Is this wine?”

“Of course,” Henrik answered walking back into the room. He smiled, “The best wine in all of Austria.” He had an extra cup in his hand. “This is special for the Countess.” Henrik handed the wine glass assumedly containing blood. He smiled at Carmilla as he sat it down, “This is my favorite. It’s Italian.”

“Thanks,” Carmilla half-heartedly smiled back.

Henrik rested a hand on Carmilla’s shoulder before going back to the kitchen.

The food was served and everyone got to eating. Kirsch was the first one to speak up that’s a really great Closterman. It looks like one of his early works.”

Carmilla had avoided looking at her mother’s portrait that was hanging over the fireplace. She glanced up at it and then looked at her drink. “Yeah. It was his first commissioned portrait. My parents liked up and coming artists.”

Henrik walked out and refilled Kirsch’s glass. Kirsch nodded with a mouthful of meat, “Thanks butler-bro.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Danny asked the group.

“Clubbing?” Laura asked LaFontaine.

LaFontaine grinned mischievously, “Yes. Definitely.” They turned to look at Perry, “Perr?”

Perry nodded, “Sure. That sounds fun.”

“I’m always down to pick up Euro-babes,” Kirsch added.

Danny shrugged. She had done most of the planning and no one had really complained. She figured it was time to let someone else take the lead.

Laura looked at Carmilla and knew that she needed to get Carmilla out of the house. Whatever was really bothering her was deep and ugly. It wasn’t something she wanted Carmilla to go through.

After dinner, everyone was exhausted and they all walked into a group to their rooms. Carmilla got in the shower while Laura perused her the book collection in Carmilla’s room. She pulled out a book in a language she didn’t recognize, but looked over the beautiful engraved cover with gold inlays. She opened it and found a few letters tucked securely into the front cover. Laura curiously opened one of the letters and saw a beautiful scrawling signature at the bottom. _Elle_.

“There’s more in a French translation of _Mediations on First Philosophy_ ,” Carmilla’s voice told her from the doorway of the bathroom. “The ones in your hand are mostly from the beginning.”

“I wasn’t snooping,” Laura closed the book and replaced it. “The book was just…pretty. I wanted to see if I could figure out the language.” She turned around and looked at Carmilla, “I’m sorry.”

Carmilla was in her underwear and a t-shirt. She walked straight to the bed and laid down on top of the blankets, “I don’t care. You can read whatever you want.”

Laura went to the bed and laid down next to Carmilla. “I think we should go back to the last city we were at. We can find a hostel.”

“I’m fine,” Carmilla looked at the ceiling. “Really. I need to do this.”

Laura nodded against her pillow, keeping her eyes trained on Carmilla, “Do you want to talk about…anything?”

“Like what?” Carmilla looked over at Laura.

Laura shrugged, “Anything. You can tell me about your dad or what Henrik was like in the seventeenth century.”

Carmilla took a deep breath, “Well, my dad was a noble….”

For the next few hours, Carmilla told Laura everything she could remember about the house. She told her about coming back after being killed and how it never felt right after that. She told of how her father was killed the same night, but never turned into a vampire. She confessed how her mother used to come in to her room and read when neither one of them could sleep.

“Mom was never the same after dad died,” Carmilla shrugged. “So when Mother came along, I jumped at the change to leave. I wasn’t here with my real mom died.”

Laura had taken to stroking Carmilla’s hair as she listened to the stories. She just listened. She didn’t say anything and she didn’t judge. She listened to Carmilla’s more detailed story of how Elle and Carmilla fell in love and then how Elle betrayed her to her mother.

It was dawn by the time Carmilla had finally fallen asleep. Laura was laying on the bed looking at Carmilla with a tear streaked face. She held it together until Carmilla fell asleep, but listening to Carmilla’s lifetimes of heartbreak and trauma. She had endured more than most people could take and it broke Laura’s heart.

Around noon, Laura woke up by herself. She knew that Carmilla could be anywhere and there was no use looking until she was prepared to face the day. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and hair. She washed her face which completely erased any sign that she had been crying.

When she opened the door, she found the hallway empty. She peeked into LaFontaine and Perry’s room to find LaFontaine asleep and Perry doing yoga at the foot of the bed. Danny’s door was closed and Kirsch’s was wide open. Kirsch’s mattress was gone and the sheets were strewn in a line toward the door.

Laura walked down the hallway and found a pillow down a hallway she hadn’t been down yet. She walked down the large ornate hallway past closed doors until she saw a door that was partially open.

In the middle of the room, Kirsch was laying on his mattress, asleep in a mess of sheets and pillows. Laura looked around the room and found the walls covered with art. The ceiling was painted with a beautiful mural. Laura smiled and retreated out of the room.

She found Danny sitting on the counter in the kitchen looking at her phone and eating a banana.

“Hey,” Laura went to the refrigerator to see what was in there to eat.

“That’s the blood fridge,” Danny stopped Laura from opening it all the way. When Laura closed it before looking inside, Danny grinned, “I made that mistake earlier.” She pointed to the opposite wall, “The food fridge is over there.”

Laura moved to the food fridge and opened it finding it full of food. “Thanks.” Laura grabbed an apple and turned to Danny, “Have you seen Carmilla?”

Danny looked up from her phone with a nod, “She and Henrik started arguing in German about her staying to take her place at the castle as the Countess Karnstein. She told him that times had changed. He asked about her mother which I took to mean that big bad evil lady who may or may not have died at Silas. Then they walked off. I think I saw Carmilla in the garden.”

Laura looked at Danny trying to remember when Danny learned German, but then remembered, “Major in Finance with a Minor in German.”

Danny nodded. “I’m gonna have to go in town to get something to wear to go clubbing in. I can go round up everyone and you can get Carmilla if you want to come with us.”

“Yeah, I didn’t actually bring anything to go clubbing in,” Laura took a bite of her apple. She spotted some cookies in the corner of the kitchen and moved to them, “I’ll go get Carm.” She picked up a cookie and looked it over. “Kirsch is asleep in a room down the hallway to the left when you’re walking this way from ours.”

“I know,” Danny hopped off the counter, “He knocked against the wall we share when he moved his mattress. He wanted to sleep amongst the beautiful art or something.”

Laura leaned back on the counter and looked at Danny. They shared a smile, “He’s full of surprises huh?”

“You have no idea,” Danny laughed and walked out of the kitchen.

Laura found Carmilla in the garden laying on the edge of the fountain.

“Hey,” Laura sat down next to Carmilla’s head.

“Hey,” Carmilla sat up and looked Laura over, “How did you sleep?”

“Really great. That bed is amazing,” Laura gushed. She smiled and kissed Carmilla’s cheek. “How’s it going today?”

“Pretty well actually,” Carmilla leaned into Laura, resting her head on her shoulder, “I got into a fight with Henrik and now I’m sulking.”

“You’re not a very good vampire, sulking out here in the sun,” Laura commented. “A very good cat though.”

Carmilla smiled, “Thanks. Dreams achieved.”

Laura offered Carmilla a bite of her apple, but Carmilla shook her head. “None of us have clubbing clothes so we’re going shopping. Wanna come?”

Carmilla looked down at her own clothes. Even though they hiked for a few days she wore leather pants, black boots, and a tight dark red shirt. She could walk right into a club and not be out of place. But she agreed to go anyway. As much as it pained her to relive her past, she was curious to see how the tiny town that used to be her own, changed.

Henrik proudly handed Carmilla the keys to one of his treasures. She walked out to what used to the stables and found a five car garage with only one space empty. She pressed the unlock button on the fob and saw the lights to a black Bentley flicker on.

“Holy crap,” Laura breathed.

“Alright. I don’t drive so…” Carmilla tossed the keys to LaFontaine, “Figure it out.”

“We’re not all going to fit in there,” Danny pointed out.

Carmilla dug in her pocket, “Um,” she pressed a button on another two key fobs. Lights to a pair of white Ducati motorcycles flashed their lights.

An argument broke out as to who got to ride the motorcycles. Laura finally got control of the situation asking, “Who actually has a motorcycle license?”

“Danny does,” Danny took one of the keys to the motorcycle and walked off toward them.

“I do,” Perry spoke up.

Everyone looked at her in shock. Carmilla slowly walked to her and handed her the motorcycle key. Then she gestured to the Bentley, “Everyone else?”

 Danny and Perry followed everyone else in the Bentley LaFontaine was driving.

“When did Perry learn how to drive a motorcycle?” Laura asked.

“I have no idea,” LaFontaine offered, glancing in the rearview mirror at Laura. “It must has been one of those two summers she spent in the country with her family while I was at Camp Curie.”

When they got into town, Carmilla found that she recognized almost nothing at all. There was a church that had always been there, but around it the town had grown.

LaFontaine pulled into a parking spot in front a trendy boutique in the town square.

“Is this the town we’re going clubbing in?” Laura asked, getting out of the car.

LaFontaine closed the driver’s door of the car, “No. It’s in the opposite direction a little farther out. This place is supposedly a good place for fashionable clothes. But I don’t know. The website was in German.”

Perry hopped up next to LaFontaine with a wide smile on her face. LaFontaine grinned, “Have fun?”

“So much fun,” Perry took LaFontaine’s hand.

LaFontaine kissed the side of Perry’s head. “You never cease to surprise me.”

“You can ride on the back of the bike on the way back,” Danny teased Kirsch when she caught him admiring the motorcycle she rode up on.

Shopping took a little over two hours. Carmilla only got a shirt while everyone else bought full outfits. Then they went back to the castle to get ready.

Henrik arranged for a limo to take them to the clubs so that they could all go together.

On the way, Perry explained to everyone the rules of the night and what to do in case of an emergency. When they got to the first club, they could feel the bass outside. They didn’t have to wait in line because Carmilla slipped the bounce a smile and a hundred.

Inside it was dark with neon lights and a pounding beat. Laura immediately took Carmilla’s hand so she didn’t get lost in the fray.

Carmilla turned back toward Laura and yelled over the music close to Laura’s ear, “Dancing or drinks first?”

 Laura looked from the crowded bar to the equally crowded dancefloor. She gestured to the dancefloor and Carmilla smiled.

It wasn’t ten seconds later that they were lost in the music, the beating of their hearts matching the fluidity of their movements. Laura’s hands were low on Carmilla’s waist and Carmilla’s arms were in the air over her head as they moved together.

Laura was the one to pull their bodies flush. Carmilla leaned forward, her forehead on Laura’s as they grinded on each other to the beat of the song.

After a few songs, Laura was parched. She leaned forward and called, “I’m going to get a drink. You want?”

Carmilla nodded. She stopped dancing to walk with Laura, but Laura directed her back to the dancefloor. It seemed that Carmilla was really able to lose herself in the music and she had been smiling most of the time. Laura didn’t want that to end.

As she made her way to the bar, she spotted Perry and LaFontaine dancing. Perry’s forearms were on LaFontaine’s shoulders, and LaFontaine had their hands resting respectfully on Perry’s waist. They were both smiling. LaFontaine said something to Perry who laughed her way closer to LaFontaine.

Laura caught LaFontaine’s eyes and made the motion of a drink. LaFontaine answered her with two fingers in the air and Laura nodded, resuming her walk to the bar.

At the bar, she found Danny and Kirsch back to back, talking to different girls. Kirsch seemed to be having a problem with German so he used his hands a lot and it came off as oafishly charming. Danny on the other hand was having no language problems. She smiled politely at the girl who seemed to be doing most of the flirting. Laura could see that Danny wasn’t into it and was trying to find a nice way to leave. Laura decided to throw Danny a bone and help her out. She walked right up to Danny and tapped her shoulder.

Danny smiled brightly, thankful for the escape. “Hey!”

Laura grinned. She looked at the girl that was talking to Danny and apologized before telling Danny that she was going to need help getting drinks. Danny explained to the girl and excused herself without saying anything else.

They went to the other end of the bar and wait for a bartender’s attention. Laura smiled up at Danny, “Not going well?”

Danny shrugged. “She was cute but…” She waved her hand in front of her face, “Nothing there.”

Laura chuckled, “I’m sure you’ll have better luck next time.” She looked around, “In fact, how do you feel about blondes?”

Danny furrowed her brow and then followed Laura’s eyes. There was a blonde woman standing with a group of friends, but was dreamily looking at Danny. When Danny looked back, the woman blushed and looked away. Danny smiled and looked at the bar. “I like blondes.”

Danny ordered for Laura before taking her drink over to the blonde woman. LaFontaine and Perry showed up right behind Laura and paid. They were taking their drinks to a table in the back and told Laura that’s where they’d be if she needed them.

That left Laura with hers and Carmilla’s drinks. She made her way back into the crowd and found Carmilla right where she left her, dancing to the beat of the song. Laura took a moment to admire Carmilla. She could see that there were plenty of people on the dancefloor that were admiring her as well, but Laura grinned when she remembered that Carmilla was hers.

Carmilla bit her lip over a smile when she saw Laura coming with the drinks. Before she could say anything, Carmilla took her drink, gulped it down, and handed the empty glass to a confused stranger. She pulled Laura close and pressed her cheek to Laura’s.

Laura wasn’t sure how long they were dancing, but time ceased to exist while they were moving together. Waltzing may have been like sex in 1680, but what they were doing on that dancefloor would put all the waltzes for the past four centuries to shame.

Perry finally retrieved them and they group started walking to the next destination. Danny and her new blonde friend were leading the way chatting in German. Perry and LaFontaine were following, holding hands and enjoying the night.

Laura looked behind them and saw Kirsch watching Danny and the blonde girl. She turned to Carmilla and asked her what Danny was talking about in German.

Carmilla shrugged, “Literature. Blondie up there is majoring in ancient history with a concentration in the Byzantine Empire. She’s apparently not a very good student because she’s misquoted Anastasius twice.”

Laura hooked her arm through Carmilla’s and held her close as they walked. Laura looked behind them again, “You doing okay back there, Kirsch?”

Kirsch whipped out of his glare at the blonde when Laura spoke. “Oh yeah. I’m good.”

Laura offered him a smile as a condolence and he looked off to the left across the street as they walked.

The next place they stopped was a pub. Everyone piled into a booth and shared stories and laughs.

Whenever no one was looking, Laura would drop a kiss on Carmilla’s neck or right behind her ear. She pressed her whole body against Carmilla’s side and held her hand under the table.

Laura was having a great time, but she knew Carmilla was putting on a front. Her smile had faded a little the longer they stayed out, but when Laura suggested that they got home and let everyone else keep partying, Carmilla refused. Something about her refusal led Laura to believe that Carmilla wasn’t staying out to have fun. She was staying out to make sure everyone was safe while avoiding the castle at the same time.

Before they got to Carmilla’s hometown, when they were hopping from hostel to hostel, she had always made sure that everyone was okay, even throwing a guy across the room for his aggressive and unwanted advances toward Danny.

So for the rest of the night, Laura stuck with Carmilla. They sat in the back of the next club they went to. Laura sat sideways next to Carmilla with her legs draped over Carmilla’s lap. Laura held Carmilla’s hand all night and they talked while other people danced. They even danced a little. Carmilla told Laura that she could keep dancing, but Laura was content to just hang back with Carmilla.

By the time Perry decided to call it a night, everyone was ready to go. Laura called the car and they waited outside, on a small street. The streetlamps put off a yellow glow that made the whole street seem hundreds of years older than it actually was.

LaFontaine was leaned back on one of the street posts and Perry was leaning into them, her hands holding the lapels of LaFontaine’s vest while they kissed passionately in the chilly Eastern European night.

Danny’s new friend had left them two clubs ago so Danny and Kirsch were laughing and joking on the curb, busting out dance moves and comparing scars.

Carmilla had her arm loosely around Laura’s shoulders, equally trying to keep her warm and close. Laura didn’t need much convincing to be kept close. She had her arm around Carmilla’s waist, watching for the car, but also watching Carmilla.

“Are you tired, Cupcake?” Carmilla asked softly into Laura’s hair.

Laura shook her head, but the mere suggestion that she was tired caused her to yawn. She rested her head on Carmilla’s shoulder, “Maybe a little.”

Carmilla smiled and kissed Laura’s forehead. “You can sleep in the car on the way home.”

And Laura did just that. She slept all the way back and Carmilla carried her into the castle.

Henrik had greeted them at the door and smiled as Carmilla walked past with Laura in her arms. “Welcome home, Countess.”

Carmilla wanted to correct him and tell him that this place was no longer her home, but she wanted to get Laura into a proper bed so that she would stay asleep.

She said goodnight to everyone else in the hallway. She pushed her bedroom door open with her foot and then kicked it closed behind herself. Carmilla gently laid Laura down on the bed and looked down at her. Laura’s eyes slowly opened, but closed again like they were too heavy to stay open, “Wake me up when we get back.”

Carmilla smiled and shook her head. She looked Laura over and decided that Laura would probably sleep better out of her tight cocktail dress and heels. She sat down at the foot of the bed then started to remove Laura’s shoes. It wasn’t a difficult process. She unclasped the tiny buckle holding onto Laura’s ankle. Then she unclasped the other one and pulled them both off.

When it came to Laura’s dress it was a little harder to get off, but with a careful unzip and a swift yank, Laura laid on the bed in her underwear. Carmilla hung up the dress and then dug through Laura’s things for something warm to wear to bed. In the process she found something that she could wear as well. She dressed Laura in sweatpants and a hoodie with little difficulty. Laura was a heavy sleeper when she was in a familiar environment.

After tucking Laura in, Carmilla put on Laura’s red plaid flannel shirt and some cotton shorts. She moved to the fireplace and started a blaze with a flick of her wrist.

On the way back to the bed, she stopped at the foot of the bed and leaned on the spiraling wooden post. Laura had rolled ungracefully onto her side. Her hair was everywhere. Her hoodie was crooked. Her mouth was slightly open. She was hugging a pillow and humming softly, getting comfortable again.

This castle wasn’t Carmilla’s home anymore. The memories were from lifetimes ago. She felt like she was a completely different person back then. She probably was. It was a wonder that Henrik recognized her. But somehow she felt comfortable back in the space that felt so alien to her.

“Carm,” Laura muttered without moving or opening her eyes, “Come to bed.”

Carmilla bit her lip over a smile as a realization dawned on her. The room wasn’t getting more comfortable and the castle wasn’t starting to feel like home again. It was Laura. The way Laura loved her made it feel like everywhere was home. Maybe it was because Laura was her home.

Laura finally lifted a heavy eyelid and whined. “Carm. I’m cold.”

Carmilla got moving, slipping into the bed, scooping Laura into her arms. Laura hummed contently and laid a limp arm around Carmilla’s waist. Laura wriggled a little closer to Carmilla and then mumbled, “Love you.”

And just like that there was no question anymore. Nowhere would ever feel like home without Laura and everywhere with Laura would be home because Laura was her home. She kissed Laura’s forehead and pushed the hair away from Laura’s face, “I love you too, Cupcake.”


End file.
